MUDA scam: S.R. Mahesh denies issuing letters of recommendation for allotment of sites

Former Minister and JD(S) leader S.R. Mahesh has denied the charges levelled against him by Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh that he issued letters of recommendation for allotment of Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) sites under the 50:50 ratio scheme.

Former Minister and JD(S) leader S.R. Mahesh has denied the charges levelled against him by Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh that he issued letters of recommendation for allotment of Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) sites under the 50:50 ratio scheme.

Addressing a press conference in Mysuru on Saturday, Mr. Mahesh dared the Minister to reveal the details of the survey numbers he mentioned during the press conference he held in Bengaluru along with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

“If at all I have made any recommendations, I will ensure that the farmers on whose behalf I had issued the letters of recommendation return the sites,” he said.

Mr. Mahesh also said that the ongoing inquiries will not be able to bring to light the irregularities in the MUDA as long as the State government was not serious about the same. He also pointed out that about 1,100 sites had been allotted under the 50:50 scheme meant for giving compensation to farmers on whose lands MUDA had developed layouts without completing the acquisition formalities. Roughly another 500 sites may have been allotted as ‘incentive’ sites to farmers, whose lands had been acquired by MUDA for developing layouts.

When Kantharaju was the Commissioner of MUDA during the earlier regime of H.D. Kumaraswamy as Chief Minister, there were about 10,000 MUDA sites, Mr. Mahesh said, while seeking an audit of the sites earmarked by the MUDA during Mr. Kantharaju’s tenure.

Meanwhile, JD(S) MLC C.N. Manje Gowda too denied the charges levelled against him by Mr. Suresh.